ABSTRACT: In dimethyl 5,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazine-2,3-di-carboxyl-ate, C18H14N4O4, (I), and diethyl 5,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazine-2,3-di-carboxyl-ate, C20H18N4O4, (II), the dimethyl and diethyl esters of 5,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazine-2,3-di-carb-oxy-lic acid, the orientation of the two pyridine rings differ. In (I), pyridine ring B is inclined to pyrazine ring A by 44.8 (2)° and the pyridine and pyrazine N atoms are trans to one another, while pyridine ring C is inclined to the pyrazine ring by 50.3 (2)°, with the pyridine and pyrazine N atoms cis to one another. In compound (II), the diethyl ester, which possesses twofold rotation symmetry, the pyridine ring is inclined to the pyrazine ring by 40.7 (1)°, with the pyridine and pyrazine N atoms trans to one another. In the crystal of (I), mol-ec
